Can strip remover



Aug. 23, 1960 T. SHULTZ CAN STRIP REMOVER Filed Oct. 28, 1958 I --q FIG. 4 Mill-Jim 2-H 20 23 C INVENTOR. Theodore Shulrz ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent CAN STRIP REMOVER Theodore Shultz, 518 Pennsylvania Ave.,Brooklyn, .N.Y. Filed Oct. 28, 1958, Ser.No. 770,110

6 Claims. (Cl. 220- 52) This invention relates to a device for removingthe narrow tear strip found on metal containers which joins the cover ofthe can or container to the body thereof.

Metal cans or containers for products such as coffee, shortening,preserved meats, and the like, have a narrow metal tear strip extendingcircumferentially about the can adjacent one end thereof and joining thecover of the can to the body thereof. Such tear strip may vary in width,and the free end which is adapted to be engaged by a removing key, mayvary in length.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved canstrip remover which is adapted to engage metal tear strips of varyingwidth, and further, is designed to engage said tear strip at the freeend thereof, even though such tear strip may be of minimum length.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described, which comprises a mini mum number of parts; is ofsimple construction; of mini mum weight and bulk so as to facilitate theuse -thereof; and which is economical to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an im proved can stripremover which includes handle and guide means which facilitates themanipulation thereof.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part,hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a front elevational view embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, showing the device in use andengaging a relatively wide tear strip; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, showing the device engaginga relatively narrow tear strip.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a can strip removerembodying the invention. The same comprises a pair of substantiallyparallel plates 11, 12 interconnected by a pair of transverselyextending, parallel pins 13, 14.

Plate 11 is provided along the lower, longitudinal edge thereof with anoutturned flange and is formed intermediate the ends thereof, with avertical slot 16, .the lower end of which terminates in a rear portionof flange 15. Plate 12 is similar to plate 11, except that it includes ahandle and guide portion 17 projecting from one end thereof; plate 12being provided with an outturned flange 15a and a vertical slot 16awhich is aligned with slot 16 in plate 11, and also terminates at itslower end, in flange 15a.

Plates 11, 12 are held together by pins 13, 14, which freely passthrough openings formed in opposite end portions of the plates. The pins13, 14 are headed at one end thereof, as at 18, which heads abut theouter surface of plate 11. The opposite ends of pins 13, 14 may bethreaded to receive nuts 19. Spring members 20 are located on pins 13,14, with one end thereof abutting the of a can strip remover outersurface of plate 12 and the other end abutting nuts 19. Spacer collars21 are disposed on pins 13, 14 to provide a minimum spacing betweenplates 11, 12, while allowing said plates to be displaced from eachother.

A key 22 is provided for association with device 10, to engage andremove a tear strip T on a container C, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4. Thekey 22 includes a portion 23 adapted to pass through slots 16, 16a inplates 11, 12; said key portion 23 having an open ended slot 24 formedtherein. Key 22 further includes a crank handle portion 25 extendingfrom portion 23.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4, device 10 is disposed in contact with acircumferential portion of container C, with plates 11, 12 located onopposite sides of the tear strip '1 are close together, as indicated inFig. 4, whereas in thecase of a wider tear strip, said plates aredisplaced from each other to accommodate the strip, as shown in Fig. 3.

The key 22 is turned by handle means 25 while device 10 is guided byhandle 17, thus winding the tear strip T on key portion 23 in a smoothspiral kept even by confinement between plates 11, 12. Thus the device10 moves around the periphery of container C until the entiretear stripis wound on key portion 23 thereby removing the same from the containerand freeing the cover D from the container body. As the tear strip T iswound on key portion 23, the winding increases in diameter. and the keyportion 23 carrying said spirally Wound strip, rises upwardly in plateslots 16, 16a.

Means is provided for initially confining key portion 23 to the bottomof slots 16, 16a so as to facilitate the introduction of'strip end 26into slot 24 on key portion 23; particularly when said strip end may bevery short in extent. According, a latch member 27 is pivotally mountedon one of the pins 14, said member being disposed in contact with theouter surface of plate 11 and head 18.

Latch member 27 includes a short slot 28 formed on the bottom portionthereof for receiving therein key portion 23; said slot 28 being definedby depending projections 29, 30 which abut flange 15. A short lug 31extending horizontally from the upper edge of member 27 provides handlemeans for moving said member 27 between operative and inoperativepositions.

It will be apparent, that with latch member 27 in its operativeposition, shown in full lines in Fig. 1, key portion 23 is held in itslowermost position in plate slots 16, 16a to allow for easy insertion oftear strip end 26 into slot 24 of said key portion. After a few turns ofhandle 25 to start the spiral winding of the leading edge of the tearstrip on key portion 23, latch member 27 may be lifted by lug 31, to itsinoperative position, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus allowingkey portion 23 to rise in plate slots 16, 16a as the diameter of thestrip wound thereon increases.

Plate flanges 15, 15a provide bearing means for device 10 with respectto the wall of container C while the device is in use. Additionally,said flanges permit the slots 16, 16a to extend downwardly to a pointsubstantially coincident with the bottom edge of plates 15, 15a, withoutdanger of breaking through the metal to open said slots at the lower endthereof. Thus, key portion 23 may be located in slots 16, 16a to receivein key slot 24 extremely short tear strip ends 26.

When, tear strip T is fully wound on key 22, said key may be withdrawnfrom slots 16, 16a; allowing the Wound strip to be withdrawn frombetween the plates 11, 12. Spring members 20 compress plates 11, 12together in accordance with the width ofthe tear strip T being removedfrom container C.

The combination of handle means 17 and crank handle 25 permits simplemanipulation of the device as the same moves about the periphery ofcontainer C, as handle means 17 may be grasped in the left hand of theuser while crank handle 25 is operated with the right hand. Sucharrangement insure proper circumferential movement of device 10' asstrip T is being progressively removed from container C andsimultaneously Wound on key portion 23. a r

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the inventiondescribed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understoodthat all matter herein set forth is illustrative and notlimiting exceptas set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my inventlon, I claim as new 1 and desire toprotect by Letters Patent: 7

1. A device for removing a sealing strip from a can and holding theremoved strip in spiral form on a slotted key on said device, comprisinga pair of opposed substantially parallel plates, each plate having anoutturncd flange extending along the lower edge thereof, said flangesextending in opposite directions and being substantially coplanar, apair of pins extending through said plates at right angles thereto andrespectively positioned adjacent the opposite ends of said plates, atleast one of said plates being .slidably mounted on said pins, resilientmeans normally urging said plates toward each other, stop means limitingthe movement of said plates toward each other, said plates havingaligned vertical slots for receiving said key, the lower end of eachslot terminating at a point coincident with the top surface of theflange, said key being insertable in said aligned slots for rotation andrectilinear movement therein from a position immediately adjacent saidflanges to positions spaced from said flanges, and movable latch meanson one-of .said plates, said latch means being formed with a notchregistrable with the lower end portion of the slot on said one plateupon movement of said latch means to one position thereof whereby toretain said key against upward movement in said aligned slots.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said latch means is pivotally mountedon one of said pins.

3. A device for removing a'sealing strip from a can and winding saidremoved strip spirally on a slotted key, comprising a pair of opposed,substantially parallel plates, flange means extending along the loweredges of each of said plates, a pair of pins interconnecting said platesfor relative movement, spring means for normally urging said platestoward each other, said plates having aligned vertical slots forrotatably and slidably receiving said key, the lower end of said slotsterminating in said flange means, stop means on said pins between saidplates to limit the movement of said plates toward each other, and alatch pivotally mounted on the outer surface of one plate, the outer endof said latch being formed with a notch registrable with the lower endportion of the vertical slot on said one plate upon pivoted movement ofsaid latch whereby said key is restrained against upward movement insaid plate slots.-

4. A device as in claim 3 wherein said latch is pivotally mounted on oneof said pins.-

a 5. A device as in claim 3 wherein one of said plates includes a wallportion projecting longitudinally beyond one end of the other platetoprovide longitudinally extending handle means.

6. A device as in claim 3 wherein said latch includes means engageablewith the flange of said one plate for limiting the movement of saidlatch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,723,046 Reeves Nov. s, 1955 2,758,746 Brockett Aug. 14, 1956 2,769,567Turbett Nov. 6, 1956 2,784,866 Virgilio Mar. 12, 1957 52,811,2 8

